Going batty: Get to know these misunderstood mammals

BAT SNUGGLES: Regional wildlife experts work to show the public that bats can be crucial, not just creepy. Photo courtesy of N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission

Bats flapping eerily through moonlight. Bats baring fangs dripping with blood. Bats attacking shrieking victims. These iconic ideas of bats creep up around Halloween and don’t make much sense to area wildlife experts. Bats aren’t scary, they stress; if anything, a world without them is truly horrifying. It would be covered in creepy crawlies and all aflutter with biting insects.

“Bats are the biggest nocturnal aerial insectivores,” explains Kendrick Weeks with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. And thanks to their ability to echolocate, they’re darn good at the job.

“It’s almost incomprehensible how many insects they actually eat,” adds Katherine Caldwell, a biologist with the commission who is based in Asheville. Bats’ predilection for pests helps keep the insect population from being out of control, she adds.

Bat myths busted

Despite their reputation, bats don’t employ echolocation because they’re blind. In reality, they can see about as well as humans can, says Caldwell. She notes that humans would find it difficult to forage in the dark after not eating all day, too.

Blindness isn’t the only myth Weeks and Caldwell regularly hear repeated about the mammals that fuels their spooky status. Most often, they hear from folks worried a bat will build a nest in their hair, a concept Caldwell quickly shoots down. To begin with, they don’t build nests, she points out. Nor do they willingly interact with people.

As an example, Caldwell says she and her colleagues spend the summer catching bats for research. “We go to such elaborate lengths: We set up these gigantic nets; it takes hours,” she says. “If all I had to do was tease up my hair really, really big, you better believe I would stand outside and just do that!”

What’s more, bats won’t suck your blood — at least, Western North Carolina bats won’t. Only three of the more than 1,300 bat species are vampire bats, and they live in Central and South America (and overwhelmingly prefer livestock and birds).

They also aren’t all rabid. Only around 2 percent of all bats tested in North Carolina test positive for rabies, Caldwell says, making risk of infection low. That being said, the commission takes rabies seriously.

“You don’t want to ever go touching bats with your bare hands,” Caldwell warns. “But just don’t be so fearful that it prevents you from understanding these organisms and appreciating their ecosystem benefits.”

Think inside the box

The benefits bats bring as important insectivores and pollinators make the devastation from white nose syndrome all the more critical. In recent years, this fungus has wiped out much of the cave-dwelling bat population in WNC and across the nation, and it continues to wreak havoc. (See “Caving In,” July 5, Xpress)

ROOM OF THEIR OWN: A multichamber bat box can house female maternity colonies of cave-dwelling bats. The bats leave their hibernation caves to roost and give birth in spring and summer. Photo courtesy of Smart Feller

Residents can help cave bats by providing bat boxes for those that come out of hibernation looking for new roosts in the spring and summer. Bat houses can also help scientists like Weeks and Caldwell better monitor the population’s slow recovery.

Caldwell points out, though, that these man-made roosts are merely additional habitat. “Here, we’re fortunate,” she says. “We’re not really limited on forest and trees,” locations where cave bats roost in warmer months. That means residents of the mountain region who put up bat boxes are not necessarily providing roosting opportunities that were lacking.

Still, Caldwell says she loves to see people in WNC put forth the effort to install boxes. She sees them as perfect tools to help the animals shed their stereotypes, as people get more comfortable around them. She does emphasize to box owners that they shouldn’t expect their night-loving neighbors to move in right away — it can take years.

According to Yoko Detrich, a bat house builder who’s also in charge of communications for Asheville-based Smart Feller Tree Works, 90 percent of the boxes that bats will ever live in will be occupied within the first three years. The tree service company began offering handmade bat boxes and installation this summer. “We were trying to figure out different ways where we could involve ourselves more with the care not only of trees but also the animals that depend on trees,” Detrich says.

Detrich recognizes that the boxes are an investment and not a sure one. That’s why Smart Feller will buy boxes back from customers if they aren’t inhabited within that three-year time frame. And, it’s why Detrich and her team follow creation and installation guidelines outlined by the Wildlife Resources Commission and other organizations, such as Bat Conservation International (batcon.org).

Got bats?

If you already have an occupied bat roost on your property, stay tuned to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s social media sites next spring for announcements about its new citizen science program. Residents can help the researchers monitor recovery from white nose syndrome by counting the bats that fly out of bat boxes or other structures at dusk. For more information, email Katherine Caldwell at katherine.caldwell@ncwildlife.org.

While the company won’t know right away if houses become successfully inhabited, “We’re hopeful,” Detrich says. “We know what we’re doing, and we’re trying to give every box the best chance.”

Smart Feller offers multichamber boxes that allow for large female maternity colonies to take up roost, birth and rear their pups. It hangs their houses at an appropriate height — at least 15 feet off the ground — and chooses either dead trees with the branches removed or free-standing poles for installation. This keeps predators at bay and allows plenty of space for the bats to leave the box unencumbered, because they drop down as they begin to fly.

Location is everything, Caldwell echoes. “We recommend really putting a lot of thought into where you’re going to put that bat box … to maximize the chance your bats will use it,” she says. Bats may not be frightening, she says, but they are finicky.

Home sweet home

Things to keep in mind when making or buying a bat house:

Choose a multichamber or rocket box design. If you’re really trying to help bats, single-chamber options, aka “bachelor pads,” aren’t the way to go, says Katherine Caldwell of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. Male bats fly solo in the summer, whereas females form maternity colonies and huddle up in roosts to birth and raise their young.

Buyfrom a reputable source. In order for bats to cling to the box, the wood needs to be roughed up inside, says Yoko Detrich of Smart Feller Tree Works. Suppliers going the cheap route may attach mesh or netting that can fall off or, worse, trap the bats. She uses a saw to create a bat-friendly surface.

Expert tips for installing a bat box:

Find a location that gets lots of sun, especially in the morning; bats are small and need warmth for themselves and their offspring.

Hang a minimum of 12 feet off the ground, but ideally 15 to 20 feet high; this ensures predators like raccoons and cats can’t easily get to the bats.

Select a low-traffic area. While bat guano is a potent fertilizer, you don’t want to stir up and breathe in its dust, which can cause respiratory issues.

Consider light and water.If possible, install your box near a water source so the mother bat doesn’t have to leave her young for long, as well as a spot away from bright lights.

Get creative. Trees sometimes aren’t the best locations for bat houses, as branches can shade the boxes and give predators easy access. Select spars — dead trees with just trunks left, which Smart Feller encourages clients to keep to provide animal habitat, not just for bats but also woodpeckers and other birds. Or, install on a freestanding pole or a building.

Be careful. Boxes can be quite large; Smart Feller’s are about 3 feet tall and weigh approximately 70 pounds. If you don’t hire a tree service that has the appropriate ropes and gear for work high off the ground, ensure proper safety precautions are in place.

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